In my last two posts (1,2), I explained my relationship with beer and the act of cellaring beer. These were fun posts to write but now it’s time to discuss some of the finer aspects of beer. There are sections that I feel are best explained by the experts and will help keep this post very short. Enjoy!
Tasting: I’d love to write a novel on this but this page covers everything you need to know. It’s a long read but is very concise considering how complex beer is. (Tasting Beer). Beer Advocate also has a page that you’ll find helpful that’s more condensed. (Tasting Beer via BA)
Glassware: This is also a subject worth linking to experts. The following three sources explain glassware best. I have over 30 glasses at home for different types of alcohol and 20 of those are specific to beer drinking. CraftBeer.com, RealBeer.com and TrueBeer.com. Remember, don’t chill your beer glass unless the brew is a very low ABU and is either a Lager or Pilsner. Some wheat beers will benefit from a frosted glass but the standard default is non-chilled glasses at room temperature are the very best.
Tools: A bottle opener and sometimes a corkscrew is all you’ll need. I recommend a barback bottle opener like this one. There’s no other tool you need for great beer except for a fridge.
Communities Around Beer: There are only two places worth spending your time on when it comes to learning about beer and rating it. BeerAdvocate & RateBeer. I prefer BA for my research. You’ll see BA and RB ratings printed out at beer stores showing how great or not so great a beer is according to the communities. I go to these sites to see if a beer is worth buying and to compare my tasting notes to others’. I also use these sites to confirm how to store a certain beer and what glassware to use with it and how to pour it. These are great resources and they both support craft beer, local beer meetups and enable discovery of not just beer but also breweries and stores around you. BA is more of a Yelp for everything beer. You need to bookmark these sites now.
Collecting Beer: This is a very strong topic for a lot of beer lovers. Brewed beverages are meant to be consumed. Fresher is the rule of thumb which is why visiting breweries is so popular. I don’t visit breweries to buy fresh ale. I visit to take home ale that won’t make it to stores.I won’t know what a beer tastes like for another year or more. This is about aging. You can visit eBay and buy beers that you won’t find anywhere nearby. When I say nearby, I mean within a 4 hour drive. eBay sales are hated by beer lovers because, it often means that the beer for $9-$20 in stores was bought up by the case by an auctioneer and is now being sold and 4x the value online. It’s unfair when all the beer drinker wanted was just one of those bottles. An example, Dogfish Head’s Squall IPA rated exceptional on Beer Advocate but I can’t find here is on eBay. It’s $20 for 2 bottles in stores but, since it’s sold out, this will cost $75 with shipping. I’d love to buy it but won’t because it’s just too expensive but someone will and that makes this business very lucrative.
When I buy beer, it’s always two bottles I buy when priced correctly at a reputable store. I drink the first one and age the 2nd with the intent or drinking, giving to a friend or selling within the next few years. Selling is always the last option but it is an option. I don’t buy beer to profit but I can’ profit from it if I choose. The Sam Adams Utopias Bottle purchased 4 weeks ago in Cape Cod for $180 is $250+ on eBay and older bottles go for higher. I plan on drinking it but, in a pinch, I can make money on my 100+ bottle cellar.
When collecting beer, it’s best that you do it for yourself and friends. Buy beer because you love beer and, if you have to sell it, you can. My cellar started 6 months ago that cost about $1100 to put together is worth about $3,000 due to some bottles being retired, rare and limited. Wait until they’re 5 years old. It’s pretty insane but don’t be lured by the money. Do it for love and don’t forget beer is for enjoying and drinking and sharing with friends. If you’re driving over 5 hours for a beer, you’re in good company. I’ve done it over a dozen times. If anyone wants to buy this for me, I’d be very grateful.
Cellaring Beer Affecting Taste: I found out just this week you don’t Cellar IPA or Imperial IPA beers. The 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head may be the only exception. However, some tasters loved the taste of aged IPAs and what they turn into. This was news to me. Curious how this affects taste, read this post about the 90 minute IPA from Dogfish Head after one year of cellaring. Beer Advocate has a sidebar on the right side of each beer profile that gives explicit advice on cellaring that beer and for how long. Follow this religiously unless you’re an expert. If you’re reading this, you’re not.
I think this is enough to get everyone started. I hope you enjoyed this series on beer. Be sure to add me on Untappd so you can follow along as I taste new and exciting beers and learn more about this rarely written about culture.